Have we learned anything from Ravi trial?

I read an article that said if the Old Testament’s 10 Commandments could be enforced, thousands of laws could be eliminated from the books. That’s because the commandments are basic, logical ways for people to live in civilized society no matter your religion or ethnic values.

This came to mind as I read the verdict in the Dharun Ravi trial. The 20-year-old former Rutgers student was found guilty. Guilty of invading the privacy of his roommate, Tyler Clementi. Ravi used a webcam to remotely spy on Clementi and an older man in an intimate encounter. Three days later Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Ravi also is guilty of witness tampering, hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence. And guilty of a felony, bias intimidation.

He was given a plea deal that would have kept him out of jail but he refused. Surprisingly, for me at least, is that he was born in India but spent most of his life in this country and never became a citizen. He can now be deported. I wonder if his parents ever spoke to him about respecting other people’s privacy. “Do unto others …” is a fairly universal theme too. I don’t buy that he was an immature kid who didn’t know better. If you’re old enough and smart enough for college you’re old enough to know right from wrong. And that you don’t violate other people’s privacy rights.

If he had followed that simple respect for others rule two young lives could very well have been saved. In this age of social media I hope that other young people have learned from this. And that they realize those Tweets stay out there a long time.

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About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

9 Responses to Have we learned anything from Ravi trial?

I totally agree Ravi should have respected his roommate’s privacy, & I bet alot of college students guilty of similar stunts have been schooled in a way that an ethics course could never achieve.

But, I totally disagree with the ‘bias’ he was found guilty of. That’s the “thought police” in action, & we should all find that very frightening.

I think Ravi’s trial got hijacked by a gay agenda. And I think Ravi was also being judged as responsible for Clementi’s suicide. Bob, you seem to be of this opinion too, “If he had followed that simple respect for others rule two young lives could very well have been saved”.

Bob, my response to your comments is based on my many years of working in the education field with numerous Indian American children whose parents were working in the engineering, computer, and scientific fields. Even though Dharun Ravi was an adult, his parents, in particular his father, was calling all of the shots as far as the plea deal and the trial was concerned. His father would have said no to the plea deal because he no doubt looked at the 12 member jury system as 12 computer screens that the court testimony would be entered into and then in the end would print out a completely sterile and analytical decision that would favor his son. He probably would not take into account the fact that in the vast majority of criminal trials the jury members emotions play a significant role in their deliberations. It would have truly been in young Ravi’s best interests if his attorney, Mr. Rafner, had invited in a lawyer who had successfully represented the victims in other bias related court cases to bluntly explain to both Ravi and his father and mother how the community service plea deal was a far better option while the pitfalls of going to trial in such a case would truly be a BAD DEAL that they would later regret.

I too am worried about these web cams. I see all the cameras on the rode and at all the stores. Geez you can’t even pick your nose without someone putting it out there on Face Tube and Twitting about it. lol

I even saw a Law and Order episode were a pervert put a camera in the toilet of the bathroom. And I’ve heard this done in the news. It’s very nervewracking thinking people are viewing you at your most vulnerable positions. I’m extremely concerned when using a gas station bathroom while traveling.

Cut and dry people are bored so “idol hands are the devil’s workshop”.

In many ways, I think this is also an example of how our justice system has gotten out of wack. They created 24 different counts against Ravi for his actions. This sort of looks like piling on. The idea being that with so many charges, they would at least get a conviction on one or two. This would justify the costs involved in holding this trial.

I also question the amount of resources that were consumed by this trial. This seems to have gotten a lot more attention that the recent trial of the cop killer in Lakewood.

I learned that if his name was Jon Corzine nothing would have happened.

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Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

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About the Author

Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

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"Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power," written by Bob Ingle and Michael Symons, offers the first inside portrait of New Jersey’s governor, who in two years as governor emerged as a national Republican Party figure famous for his blunt public statements. The book details Christie’s combative public persona and deep family roots, tracing his improbable political rise from a bruising stint in county government to his anti-corruption crusade as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power goes behind the scenes to reveal his family life, his public life, and what the future might hold..

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